It’s a puzzle. No one knows for sure why dolphins are spotted more often and for longer periods of time in and around New York Harbor, the giant estuary where salty tides mix with fresh water from the Hudson River.
Maxine Montello, an official of the New York Marine Rescue Center. “It is an honor to see stronger populations but also a concern because of the increasing overlap with people and shared resources,” she says, especially during the summer months. when many tourists and amusements on crowded waters.
The resurgence of dolphins around New York City – home to the nation’s most developed coastline – stands in stark contrast to the times of severe disease and high mortality that frequently occur on the Coast. Winter. In 2013, a series of dolphin carcasses washed ashore first in New Jersey and then in Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida, the winter home of mammals. Many of the bodies were overturned in the wave, badly damaged. The suspected killer is a deadly virus.
Now, like people flocking to New York despite apartment rental bidding war, the marine mammals seem to enjoy the crowded waters of the city. Possible explanations include improved habitat quality, warmer water due to climate change, and recovery of menhaden stocks, experts say. Dolphins eat school fish, eating up to 20 pounds a day.
New Yorkers are spotting dolphins in places like the East River, which separates Manhattan from Brooklyn and Queens. A pair appeared in the waters off Greenpoint, Brooklyn last year, leaving viewers and scientists gaping in awe.
“This is no ordinary place where they are seen,” Howard C. Rosenbauma senior scientist at the Wildlife Conservation Society, told WABC last year. The couple showed no signs of distress, he added.
To better understand dolphin recovery and the threats to their populations, six scientists at conservation society, including Dr Rosenbaum, recently studied behavior and obsession Photo of dolphins in and around New York Harbor. The team focused on bottlenose dolphins – type known for his grin and energetic dance moves. Highly intelligent creatures, they live in coastal waters and use sound waves to communicate and hunt for food.
Scientists have discovered that bottlenose dolphins can emit a series of rapid clicking sounds known as feeding buzzes help them track their prey. From 2018 to 2020, the team Setting underwater microphones and recorders at six locations off the coast of Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and New Jersey to listen to distinctive sounds.
A sensor has been placed near an artificial structure called Rockaway Reef, a visible hotspot about two miles south of Rockaway Beach, Queens. Near Manhattan, in the Upper Bay off Brooklyn, another vessel was set up in the high-traffic area. The general purpose is to record when and where dolphins are fed.
The team found that dolphin predation was highest in the Lower Bay off Staten Island, particularly near the outer entrance to New York Harbor and the estuary, which stretches five miles between Sandy Hook, New Jersey and Breezy. Point, Queen. Lower levels were found at the Upper Bay site. The team reports that hunting peaks from late summer to autumn.
“To better manage potential human-wildlife conflict,” the authors Written earlier this month in a journal of marine ecology, “more focused studies are needed on this understudied population.”
Sarah G. TrabueThe study’s lead author and Wildlife Conservation Society researcher, said the underwater ears “do a great job of establishing a wealth of information about these animals, but we can see gaps that need to be filled”, especially in finding She says there are possible connections between human activity and feeding patterns.
Dr Rosenbaum said population growth “is becoming part of our new normal” and increases the importance of acoustics research. “It’s been a very effective tool to learn about bottlenose dolphins in our backyard,” he said, adding that it will help establish “the tightest understanding of how to reduce harm.” .
Joe Reynoldsa nature writer and wildlife photographer, note Dolphin sightings increased almost 5 years ago on his blog about New York Harbor. Among the factors driving their return, he found the growing abundance of marine life, especially seafood species, to be the most important. Humans avoid and dolphins prefer oily fish, also known as stewed fish. Experts Credit fish revival to improve East Coast fisheries management.
Mr. Reynolds said bottlenose dolphins are often observed feeding in large bunker schools in Sandy Hook Bay and Raritan Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean near Jersey Shore towns such as Sea Bright, Monmouth Beach and Long Branch.
“How can we tell the dolphins are behind the bunker?” he asks. “They are not alone. Crowds of hungry gulls, terns, cormorants, and other seabirds also appeared.”
Montello of the New York Maritime Rescue Center said an element overlooked in recent sightings has been an increase in humans seeking to escape the coronavirus pandemic by flocking to waterways, New York’s piers, piers, waterfront parks, and fishing sites, become casual observers.
“We are seeing more animals but also raising public awareness,” Ms. Montello said. She added that wildlife experts are increasingly concerned about accidental runs.
“A lot of people have tested their boating during the pandemic,” she noted. “It can be scary out there.”
Last year, Ms. Montello said, the rescue center had seen an increase in the number of dead and stranded dolphins, adding that the reasons for the incidents often remained unclear. “Further investigation is needed to find out what is going on,” she said, including necrotic marks and other detailed studies of the infected animals and their aquatic environments.
“We haven’t seen a significant increase this year,” noted Ms. Montello. “But we’ve only just entered the season.”
